Hae Soo tried to keep herself as busy as possible and out of her boss's sight. Myung Hee had given her some useful pointers on how to accomplish this, after Soo had refused to just call in sick and insisted on going to work, despite the incident on the previous day. Her Eonni had also promised to call her repeatedly during the day, and just before the end of the regular work hours. They had agreed on a keyword for Soo to send via 'quick text' to Myung Hee—just in case Soo required an immediate rescue call that would give her a valid excuse to cut short any unwanted encounter with her boss.
So far, Soo had successfully managed to steer clear of her boss who was stuck in another meeting, but she realized that this game of 'hide and seek' could quickly become very exhausting—and nerve wracking as well, since she jumped whenever she heard someone approach her work station.
Soo actually made it all the way to lunch time, before her luck ran out. On her way down to the cafeteria on the 1st floor, she didn't worry too much when the elevator came to a stop at the 15th floor. She remembered that's where Wang So had exited on the previous day, and she was silently hoping that it might be him again getting on. But as soon as the doors opened, the smile that had been on her face—thinking about her 'elevator savior'—vanished, and she felt the blood drain from her cheeks.
Hwangbo Wook merely cast her a contemptuous glance as he entered the elevator together with his sister, Yeon Hwa. Both of them deliberately turned their backs toward her, and Soo wondered if either of them realized that this insulting gesture actually made her feel better. She didn't mean to eavesdrop when Hwangbo Yeon Hwa started a conversation with her brother, but it was unavoidable since she spoke loud enough—intentionally loud enough—for Hae Soo to catch every word.
"Isn't it funny that his own mother had him arrested?" Yeon Hwa sneered. "I can't wait to go see him...just to gloat, you know."
Wook gave a short laugh, but didn't otherwise respond.
"He thinks he can just dump me like that and get away with it," she went on, sounding vicious now. "But we'll see who gets the last laugh. I'm going to make him regret the day he walked out on me!"
"He's already found himself a new squeeze," Wook remarked casually this time.
"He WHAT?" his sister screamed, then followed it up with a long string of vulgar expletives, that could have made even a 'pro' blush.
Hwangbo Wook laughed at his sister's outburst, having fully achieved his goal. "Don't worry," he then told her, "the little slut can't hold a candle to you, and besides...your dear ex-fiancé will be spending quite a few years behind bars this time. His Mommy is already making sure of that!"
"Meaning you took her up on her offer?" Yeon Hwa asked, now calmer again.
"Of course, I did!" Wook chuckled nastily. "What better chance to get the bastard out of my hair, than having his own mother press charges against him."
Hae Soo didn't hear Yeon Hwa's reply as the siblings exited the elevator together on the 1st floor, but she had already heard enough—too much, as a matter of fact, since it had become quite clear whom their conversation referred to and that it was meant directly for her.
Soo had intended to get off at the 1st floor as well, but found herself unable to move. In fact, she could hardly even breathe and slumped to the floor when the elevator doors closed and the lift started to ascend once more. Her hands were shaking as she pulled the cell phone from her purse and pushed the speed-dial preset for Myung Hee.
Myung Hee answered the call almost immediately, with a concerned sounding "Yeoboseyo!"
"Eonni," Soo choked out, fighting to remain calm enough to tell her cousin what she had heard. "They didn't mention any names, but I'm positive they were talking about Wang So," she added at the end.
"I think you're right," Myung Hee agreed, "especially since they made sure you heard it all...Okay, listen to me carefully!" she went on. "I will make some phone calls and try to get to the bottom of this."
"Call who?" Soo asked skeptically.
"Don't worry, I'm not as helpless as some people like to think," Myung Hee assured her. "I have my own connections too...and some of them in rather..how would you call it?... High places!" She actually chuckled lightly, but then quickly turned serious again. "Now you listen to me, Soo-yah...Keep staying away from Wook and that conniving sister of his. Just try to make it through today, and don't worry too much..."
"I'm just scared for Wang So," Hae Soo interjected.
"I am too," Myung Hee admitted, "but there is nothing you can do from your end. Just trust me, and let me worry about getting our hero out of whatever kind of trouble they got him into."
"Okay!" Soo replied and couldn't help but grin when her Eonni referred to Wang So as 'hero', though to Myung Hee—considering he had twice saved her life—he probably was.